Fresh inquiries are being made into the death of Dame
Shirley Bassey’s daughter after the family of a convicted killer’s victim handed detectives fresh information.

The Welsh singer has always believed the death of Samantha Novak, 25 years ago, was not due to an accident or suicide.

Dame Shirley Bassey has always had doubts about the death of her daughter Samantha Novak

Miss Novak, 21, was found face-down in the River Avon, near Bristol and the 250ft Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Shortly after her death, a coroner said it appeared Miss Novak tumbled off the riverbank after a night out with friends and there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.

But Avon and Somerset Police revealed the family of convicted killer Michael Moffat’s victim – Penny Beale – has written to detectives with a new lead.

Miss Beale’s mother said the killer claimed to be “involved in the murder” of Miss Novak.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Carter, head of the force’s major crime review team, said: “The mother of Moffat’s victim wrote to us with some information in the last couple of weeks.

“There was nothing from the coroner’s report to suggest it was murder rather than suicide. However, this information is obviously additional so we are making fresh inquiries.”

Moffat, 47, originally from Edinburgh, was jailed for 11 years for battering to death his 31-year-old girlfriend Ms Beale, in Hastings, East Sussex, in 2001.

Dame Shirley, who also has an elder daughter Sharon and adopted son Mark, brought Samantha up with second husband Sergio Novak. Last October, Dame Shirley told reporters she always had suspicions surrounding her daughter’s death.